Brullé studied for and obtained a baccalauréat in sciences then in "lettres", before qualifying in 1839 as a Doctor of Natural Science. His thesis, published in 1837, was Sur le gisement des insectes fossiles et sur les services que l'étude de ces animaux peut fournir à la géologie. He became the Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at the University of Dijon.